Capitol Watchhttp://blogs.courant.com/capitol_watch/
Connecticut politicsenCopyright 2011Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:51:49 -0500http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specificationContrary to report, several members of the CT delegation are holding public forums during the August recessNo Labels recently scolded members of Congress for skipping out on town hall events during the August recess.

The group, which is dedicated to charting a new political course beyond the rhetoric put forth by the two major parties, conducted a survey and found that only 40 percent of members are holding open public meetings during the break. Among the Connecticut delegation, it says only U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy is holding a town hall-style event during the break.

"This research sums it up. Both parties are resistant to open up to differing opinion and our politics reflect that,'' said Dave Walker, a No Labels co-founder (and potential U.S. Senate candidate from Connecticut.) "What the American people want is a new kind of politics that elicits common sense solutions, not rigid partisan positioning. Congress represents all of us, and it is time for members to engage in a dialogue with citizens of all political stripes."

Trouble is, it's not quite true. Two other Connecticut congressmen -- Joe Courtney and John Larson -- have held numerous public events this week, with more to come.

Courtney, a Democrat from the 2nd District, will be holding a forum on Medicare at Quinebaug Valley Community College from 10:30 a.m. to noon tomorrow. He is also holding a general town hall on Sept. 6 at Asnuntuck Community College in Enfield.

Larson, D-1st District, has already held a forum for senior citizens in Southington. He has another one planned for later today in Rocky Hill. It will focus on Larson's jobs initiative. Larson will hold two other public forums next week, a spokesman said.

Murphy, as No Labels noted, has held several events already, including a public forum on No Child Left Behind in Farmington. Tomorrow the 5th District Democrat is hosting a small business seminar in Waterbury and has tentatively scheduled a forum on Medicare and a discussion of immigration for next week.

"Chris is doing a public even just about every day,'' said spokesman Ben Marter.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro of the 3rd District and Rep. Jim Himes of the 4th District have no town hall type events scheduled, according to their spokespeople.

They are among the political heavy weights slated to appear at forum next month in Hartford. The July 15 event will focus on fiscal responsibility at the state and federal levels; it's hosted by the non-partisan No Labels group.

Lieberman, one of the leaders of the No Labels movement nationally, will speak at the forum, which will be held at the Hartford Club on July 15.

The panel discussion on federal fiscal issues will feature McMahon, Kennelly and Johnson. It will be moderated by former U.S. Comptroller General -- and possible U.S. Senate candidate -- David Walker. (McMahon, of course, is also pondering a Senate bid.)

The discussion on state fiscal matters will feature Weicker, Barnes, Metro Hartford Alliance CEO Oz Griebel and Sheila Weinberg, CEO of the Institute for Truth in Accounting. It will be moderated by Debra Hauser, who co-chairs the Connecticut No Labels chapter, along with Walker and Brett Hellerman.

By the way, the event is "by invitation only,'' according to the release. Due to strong interest, the event is now open to the public. For more information, email NoLabels.CAI.event@tcaii.org

"We support Governor Malloy's willingness to make a budget proposal that puts everything on the table,'' Debra Hauser, a Democrat from New Haven who co-chairs the group's Connecticut chapter, said in a statement. "We also applaud his efforts to reach out to the people of Connecticut through a range of Town Hall meetings to explain his proposals and seek public input on them. Commendably, Governor Malloy has noted the need for tough choices, including concessions from the state's employees, without attacking government employees or using inflammatory language."

Another co-chair, David M. Walker, a political independent who served as U.S. comptroller general under Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush, called on Malloy to reexamine the size, role and operations of state government. "This should include a fundamental review and reassessment of the state's many agencies, spending programs, regulatory approaches and tax policies in order to make Connecticut more competitive and sustainable from a fiscal perspective," he said.

The press release does not include a quote from the group's Republican co-chair, Brett Hellerman.